4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
THURSDAY,DEC.13,2001
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BRUNO PIERONI/KANSAN
PERSPECTIVE
Hawk Night brings clean holiday fun
Hawk Nights is many things to many different people. For a student living in a residence hall, it is an opportunity to get out of the halls and score some free Coke products, snacks and maybe a prize at the Union.
For a family living in Stouffer Place, it could be a chance to meet new people and entertain the kids and adults. For a student living off-campus, it's a free on-campus event where one can catch a movie, listen to a band and maybe even meet a cute fellow Jayhawk!
Commentary
A Hawk Night is a non-alcoholic, on campus free event, open to all KU students. Funded by a grant from the City of Lawrence, Hawk Nights are a presence on campus to provide a free event to all members of the KU community.
Katie Bartlett
Guest colomnist
opinionansan.com
The Hawk Nights committee is made up of a group of students representing various campus organizations like the Association of University Residence Halls, the All Scholarship Hall Council,
Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association and students from Student Senate and the Student Alumni Association are present as well. Our job is to develop fun and interesting programs that would appeal to all students. Hawk Nights are always a Friday or Saturday night, typically at an on-campus location.
So now you know what a Hawk Night is. The question is, why should you go? Lots of reasons. For one, it's a chance to do something different.
Let's face it: We tend to go to the same
places when we go out, be it a bar, club,
house or to the movies.
Hawk Nights gives you a chance to go somewhere new. Rock climb on the wall at Robinson Center, bet all you've got at Templin's Casino Night or rock out to some awesome bands at the Burge Union. Since you're in a new place, there's a good chance you'll meet some people you didn't know before.
This is a great opportunity to interact with people from a different part of campus, or even the globe.
Hawk Nights is a great place to take your group or campus organization to hang out and mix up your regular schedule of events and have some fun while you're at it. You just can't go wrong with free food, feasting on caramel apples and hot cider while you're carving a pumpkin or eating the gingerbread house that has just won you a DVD player.
Most importantly, Hawk Nights are all about students. Planned by students
for students, we want to present exciting and different things that you would be interested in. If you ever have a suggestion or comment about an event, contact Aramis Watson at watsona@ku.edu. We'd love to hear from you.
The next Hawk Night is "Chaos at the Burge Union." It is today at the Burge Union. We'll have a gingerbread house contest, cookie decorating, a video game tournament with EA Sports, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus and Baby Jay, as well as party pics.
Plus, the movie A Christmas Story, free professional massage, lots of free food and great prizes are included in the Hawk Nights event.
So, if you don't want to shell out your last $5 for a movie or go to that same bar again, check out a Hawk Night. You just might like it.
Bartlett is a Wilmette, Ill., senior.
PERSPECTIVE
Fully-funded education vital to state's economy
Throughout the state's history, Kansans have favored a strong education system. Countless surveys confirm that elementary, secondary and postsecondary education remains a top priority Not only do we want to prepare our young people to be successful, contributing adults, but we also recognize the critical role of education in the state's economy and quality of life.
Compared with other states — even those that connect with our borders, such as Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa — higher education in Kansas has long been a bargain. The University of Kansas' resident undergraduate tuition and fees are $2,884, which is $2,000 below Missouri's, almost $900 below Nebraska's and more than $600 below Iowa's. Iowa has approved an increase of $668 for fall 2002.
The University of Kansas and the state's five other regents universities have attracted international recognition because of solid educational programs, outstanding faculty and cutting-edge research. Kansans expect excellence from their higher education institutions. In recent years, it has become more challenging to meet those expectations because resources have not kept pace with the costs of hiring and retaining outstanding faculty, adequately compensating support staff and student workers, and paying utility bills and other operating expenses.
Commentary
Although education is a top priority of Kansans, state appropriations per student at regents schools have declined dramatically in the past 15 years. Between 1985 and 2000, inflation-adjusted state funding for KU dropped from $6,469 to $5,802 per student. If we were funded in fiscal year 2000 at the same rate as fiscal year 1985, we would have $15 million more in state appropriations.
We have stretched state dollars through streamlining operations, implementing conservation measures and vigorously pursuing private gifts and federal funding. We have made a little go a
David Shulenburger University provost opinionkanans.com
Compared with our five peer schools (Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oregon) — with which we share similar demographics and other attributes — our overall funding has declined to 80 cents on the dollar. For every dollar peer schools spend for operating expenses, we have 60 cents. For every dollar they spend for faculty salaries, we have only 90 cents. If we are to compete with our peers and keep our educational programs strong, we must do better.
longway in protecting the high quality of educational programs and preserving the value of a KU degree. But we are falling behind.
The University has begun that campus dialogue. We put together possible scenarios to demonstrate how a five-year tuition strategy might be implemented. These scenarios are meant to stimulate discussion and elicit feedback from our campus community, which will be used to formulate an actual proposal to take to the regents in April. Each scenario includes two alternatives: one that would place the bulk of the tuition increase on new students in Fall 2002
The funding gap is growing and threatens to erode the quality and value of a degree from a Kansas university. The Kansas Board of Regents believes it is time to consider raising tuition to address the gap. The regents have asked the six state universities to develop a five-year tuition strategy.
Before a specific recommendation is presented to the regents, each university will hold conversations with its campus community — students, faculty and staff
— to gather opinions about a strategy that makes the most sense.
and Fall 2003, and one that spreads the increase evenly across all students beginning in Fall 2002 and continuing through Fall 2005. These are the scenarios that have been discussed so far:
Of the three scenarios, when fully implemented, scenario A would result in $2,840 more for tuition; scenario B would mean an increase of $2,280; and scenario C would result in $1,440 more. That means, for example, if the increase were applied to all students rather than just new students, tuition would increase by $720 per year over the next four years in scenario A, $570 per year for scenario B and $360 per year for scenario C.
In scenario C, tuition for new students would be $3,604 for Fall 2002 and $4,324 in Fall 2003; alternatively, tuition for all students would be $3,244 in Fall 2002 and $3,604 in Fall 2003.
In scenario B, tuition for new students would be $4,024 in Fall 2002 and $5,164 in Fall 2003; alternatively, tuition for all students would be $3,454 in Fall 2002 and $4,024 in Fall 2003.
In scenario A, tuition for new students would be $4,324 in Fall 2002 and $5,764 in Fall 2003; in the alternative for this scenario, tuition for all students would be $3,604 in Fall 2002 and $4,324 in Fall 2003.
The size of our funding deficit compared with similar institutions is $50 million per year. The scenarios described above would address this deficit in differing degrees. Scenario A, when fully implemented, would erase the $50 million deficit completely. Scenario B would raise $40 million and would eliminate the deficit in nonfaculty personnel and funding for operating expenses; scenario C would eliminate half the deficit that currently exists.
All the scenarios include an $8 per credit hour technology fee to ensure that KU can replace broken and outdated technological equipment, a component critical to a modern education. The three scenarios we have presented for discussion exclude adjustments for inflation and maintenance. Tuition and fees represent about one-fourth of the total cost of attending KU; room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses make up the remainder.
We are deeply committed to maintaining access to KU; therefore, any proposal that we ultimately choose to present to the regents will include 20 percent for need-based financial aid. Scenario A includes $10 million for financial aid over four years, scenario B includes $8 million and scenario C includes $5 million. This funding would be awarded as grants rather than loans. Our inclusion of the financial aid provision in all scenarios has been applauded by students who have attended tuition strategy presentations.
The Lawrence campus discussions have yielded probing questions, carefully articulated concerns and thoughtful suggestions, all of which will play a role in shaping the five-year tuition strategy for KU. The editorial board of the Kansan, has said, "Although the administration has yet to decide upon a specific proposal, higher tuition is a necessity if the University of Kansas wants to continue providing first-rate higher education."
It would be irresponsible for the higher education system in Kansas to not seek alternative sources of revenue as state funding drops. The potential consequences are far too grim. If the present trends continue, graduates of Kansas institutions will be less competitive and could have less earning power than those obtaining degrees from more adequately funded universities. It takes a well-educated, well-prepared workforce to draw business and industry to Kansas and bolster the state's economy.
If our funding levels cannot be brought more into line with our peers, the cost to our students will be far greater and longer-lasting than any additional tuition they will be asked to invest in their educations.
Shulenburger is provost of the University of Kansas.
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